An In-Depth Exploration Corporate Human Rights and ESG Governance

Wednesday, 5th April 2023

12.30-13.30 pm BST (London) 

Context

The concept of governance encompasses all aspects of a company’s internal structure, including recruitment strategy, policy making, code of conduct, anti-corruption, and more. As the ‘G’ pillar of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), it is an integral component of implementing meaningful human rights and sustainability due diligence beyond legal compliance.

The legal landscape is changing rapidly on both an international and domestic level. New legislation such as the EU’s Corporate Due Diligence Directive is being introduced that will impose obligations on companies to perform due diligence in addressing the potential or actual human rights impacts of their business activities. In order to comply with these obligations, and to ensure that corporations are doing all they can to mitigate human rights issues such as modern slavery and forced labour, it is important that ESG is embedded into business activities in a meaningful way.

Due to developing laws and stakeholder interest, companies can no longer ignore ESG integration. Good governance is key to ensuring how ESG is properly embedded. That is why Ardea International cordially invites you to join us and a panel of expert speakers to discuss ways in which to embed ESG into corporate strategy in a meaningful way in order to address potential human rights risks.

This practical session will examine how governance, the ‘G’ in ESG, holds the key to delivering an environmental and human rights due diligence that exceeds minimum compliance requirements and benefits all stakeholders.

Register for this FREE webinar to learn about how corporate ESG governance can help to address potential or actual human rights risks and environmental compliance risks and demonstrate how a responsible business approach delivers for all supply chain stakeholders. Learn from experts from civil society about the expectations and implications, from legal experts about the legislative requirements, and from commercial organisations about best practice in implementing good governance.

Register here

The webinar will last 60 minutes and includes a question and answer session. At the point of registration, you will have the opportunity to submit questions you would like our speakers to respond to on the live webinar. 

 Unable to join us on the day? We will record this webinar. If you are unable to attend live, please register, and we will send you a link to the recording after the webinar and a link to download the speakers’ presentations and other outputs. 

This webinar is paired with Ardea International’s Business & Human Rights online training and support programme that will equip you to understand the essential Human Rights and business principles and risks, how to report on Human Rights due diligence to meet legal obligations, and build your own Human Rights frameworks and grievance mechanisms. The next programme begins on 19 October. Contact us to claim a 10% discount as an attendee of this webinar.  

Speakers

Colleen Theron – CEO of Ardea International

Colleen is a tri qualified lawyer with over 25 years of legal and commercial experience of working with business, organisations and NGOs across sectors on both a strategic and operational level. She provides advisory services, training and online resources to both directors and employees on human rights, modern slavery and sustainability issues. Colleen has an LLM (with distinction) in Environmental Law from the University of Aberdeen. She sits on the advisory board for LexisPSL Environment and was nominated as one of the Top 100 Corporate Modern Slavery influencers in the UK in 2018.

Cathie Lewis – Founder of Earth Energy

Cathie is Founder of Earth Energy (Pty) Ltd, an ESG, climate change and water governance consultancy. She has over 27 years’ experience in governance, legal and sustainability, of which 11 has been as a group company secretary in the listed environment. She started her career lecturing in law and communication, and thereafter practised as an attorney and conveyancer for own account and advised as inhouse legal counsel.

Her fields of experience include general legal and commercial work, governance, legal compliance, company secretariat, integrated reporting, ethics, risk and opportunity governance, ESG, sustainability strategy, climate change and water governance.

She is one of the founding directors of Co-Go, Collaborative Governance Network for Water Security; board director of the Chartered Governance Institute of Southern Africa (CGISA) and member of its Technical Committee, member of the Working Group of the South African Integrated Reporting Committee, and was elected as a member of the KZN Climate Change and Sustainable Development Council constituted by the Premier’s Office.

Cathie has provided ESG, sustainability and climate change advice, assistance and research to multiple companies and businesses and participates in research projects, such as the UNESCO Be Resilient project, and the DIVAGRI project [Revenue DIVersification pathways in Africa through bio-based and circular AGRIcultural innovations].

She is a co-author of Chapter 4: The Economics of Water: Values and Governance Perspectives of the Water Research Commission Report no. SP 153/21, November 2021 edited by Swatuk et al. Towards the Blue-Green City: Building Urban Water Resilience.

She received the 2022 ESG High Achiever of the Year award from the South African Chamber of Commerce, UK.

Charlotte Brierly – Human Rights Lead, Sky

As Sky’s human rights Lead, Charlotte works to embed respect for human rights deeply across Sky’s diverse value chain. Charlotte works across Sky, from Content and Sports to Products and Procurement to promote a fair and just transition. Charlotte previously led Sky’s Sustainability reporting, and the development of Sky’s net zero ambition with Production & Procurement.

Charlotte co-founded the TV Industry Human Rights Forum in 2017 and is an Advisory Panel member of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. Charlotte develops innovative approaches to preventing and mitigating risks to workers, communities and audiences. Charlotte has over 12 years’ experience driving sustainability & human rights, and before Sky, Charlotte led Aviva’s Global Community Development programme, focusing on children’s rights.